Heel



Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES i l n 1,925,218

1,925,218 HEELl Herbert R'.l k"Webster, Auburn N. Y., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 17, 1932. Serial No. 593,575

4 Claims.

This invention relates to heels and is illustrated as embodied in a wood heel.

Heels are of two generic types, Louis and Cuban. The Louis heel has a breast surface which, when 5 looked at from the side, curves upward and backward and then forward, terminating in a shank lip. The Cuban heel has, until recently, had a generally straight vertical breast which extends from the top-lift end clear through to the attaching face.

A disadvantage of the ordinary Cuban heel, from the standpoint of style, resides in the concave appearance of its breast corners. A Cuban heel breast surface is concave in horizontal cross-section, and its side surfaces are concave and tapering toward the top-lift end, in transverse vertical cross-section. The middle part of the heel breast corner is therefore nearer the center of the breast surface than the ends of the breast corners and is therefore farther back in the heel, due to the concavity of the breast surface, than are the ends. The breast edge therefore looks concave to the front when viewed from the side. This style disadvantage has been obvi- `ated by the invention of H. W. Russ described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,528,345, granted March 3, 1925. Briefiy stated, the heel breast of a heel of the type disclosed in said Letters Pat- Vent is convex in vertical longitudinal cross-section, sufciently to straighten out the breast edge.

Owing to the presence of the shank lip the Louis heel has a considerably longer attaching face than the Cuban heel and consequently Apossesses the mechanical advantage of a larger bearing surface on its attaching face.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a heel which will have the appearance and ,style of Cuban heels as heretofore made, including the advantages of Cuban heels embodying the invention disclosed in the Latters Patent above mentioned, with the advantageous feature above mentioned as characteristic of Louis heels. Accordingly, each of the heels herein illustrated as `constituting embodiments of the present invention has a breast surface which is concave in horizontal cross-section, as in Cuban heels, but is convex in longitudinal, vertical cross-section, Vas in heels of the type disclosed in said Letters Patent, and this breast surface merges directly with a downwardly concave shank lip which is integral with the body of the heel. The heel may be regarded from two points of View, either as a `Louis heel with straight appearing breast corners 'or as a Cuban heel With a lip. I contemplate a Variety of shapes of intersection or mergings between the breast and shank lip surfaces of my improved heel. This intersection may be sharp cornered, thus preserving exactly the shape of the Cuban heel, yor it may be rounded, thus suggesting a feature of the Louis heel.

These and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a heel embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical cross-section; and

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar views of a heel of another style but also embodyingthe present in- Vention.

The back 10 and sides 12 of the heel shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 are of ordinary formation. The breast surface 14 is concave in horizontal crosssection, as shown at 16 in Fig. 2 and is convex in vertical longitudinal cross-section, as shown at 18 in Fig. 3. This convexity, which is fully explained in the Letters Patent referred to, is just suflicient to make the breast corner 20 look straight when viewed fromrthe side, as shown in Fig. 3.

The attaching face 22 of the heel is prolonged beyond the breast surface into a shank lip 24, which is convex downward, as shown in Fig. l, and as is usual in Louis heels. In the heel shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the junction 26 between the breast surface 14 and the lip 24 is sharp and angular. This heel, when placed on a shoe, with its lip 24 covered by a sole flap, looks like a Cuban heel of the type shown in said Letters Patent.

In Figs. 4 `to 6 is shown a heel in which the junction 28 between the breast surface and the lip surface is rounded. While this suggests the corresponding characteristic of the Louis heel, the breast of the illustrated heel is distinctively Cuban.

Advantageously heels embodying the present invention may be made by the aid of machines embodying the invention of Cutler D. Knowlton described in his application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 594,071, led Februaly 19, 1932. 105

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: Y

l. A heel having a breast surface which is concave in horizontal cross-section, and convex in vertical longitudinal cross-section, and having also a shank lip which is convex downward and extends substantially beyond the breast surface.

2. A wood heel having a breast surface which is concave in horizontal cross-section and convex in vertical longitudinal cross-section, with its breast corners lying substantially in the same transverse Vertical plane, and having also a shank lip integral with the body of the heel which is convex downward and extends substantially beyond the breast surface.

3. A wood heel having a breast surface which is concave in horizontal cross-section and convex in Vertical longitudinal cross-section, with its breast corners lying substantiallyin the same transverse vertical plane, and having also a shank lip integral with the body of the heel which is convex downward and extends substantially beyond the breast surface, the heel having also a curved surface joining the under surface of the shank lip and the breast surface.

4. A wood heel having a breast surface which is concave in horizontal cross-section and convex in vertical longitudinal cross-section, with its breast corners lying substantially in the same transverse vertical plane, and having also a shank lip integral with the body of the heel which is convex downward and extends substantially beyond the breast surface, the lower surface of the shank lip intersecting the breast surface at an acute angle. Y

HERBERT R. WEBSTER. 

